A DC Short Story
by Flaseron
Summary: A newcomer to Gotham stumbles upon Slade by accident, and is thrust into a world he isn't ready for. Torn by his desire to help and his inability to control the rage within, he tries to cope with his new reality. A mix of the DC Universe, Justice League, and Teen Titans. AU.
1. Chapter 1

**A DC Short Story, Part One**

Gotham City...beautiful, isolated, prosperous. But Gotham City was also dangerous. Though I didn't realize it when I moved there with my friend Steve, Gotham City was paradise not only for the honest, adventurous, and hardworking, but also for the greedy, uncouth, and villainous. We found ourselves in a large condo for good price, and were able to find jobs quickly. Steve found himself working at a restaurant called "The Tater House," while I found work in my normal venue: a bakery. Things went well in the first few months. The jobs paid us enough that we were never without the necessary things, like power and food. I even managed to buy my dream car, a Stingray. I wasn't able to insure it yet, but at least I had it. I didn't mind walking a mile or so to work, when it paid so damn well. However, things changed one night after work. It was about 10:00, maybe 10:20, and I was almost home, when I heard voices talking in an alley. They were saying something about some "weapon." It made me uneasy, so I decided to take a peek.

There were two men, one of whom was dressed in a metal suit, with a face mask, half black and half red. He spoke in a voice which was deep, smug, mocking, and a little bored. The other man was hidden by the shadows too much for me to notice any distinguishing traits or clothing. Metal man was saying, "...do realize the potential this weapon has, do you not? And you will take this into account, yes? We don't want to destroy the city, only conquer it." The man in the shadows waved off his remarks, looking only like a silhouette, while saying, "Yes, of course. Leave it all to me." I began to back away, thinking that maybe I shouldn't get involved, but metal man had different plans for me. He'd already noticed me, and moved amazingly fast. He was in front of me in a matter of seconds, with his fist in my gut. "Can't have you snitching, can we?" he asked. As I gasped for breath, I was surprised to hear a loud smashing sound. Looking up, I saw metal man struggling to rise, among the smashed bricks of a nearby wall.

Next to me stood a large breasted blonde girl, in a white tee and blue jean shorts. The tee-shirt has a S inside of a diamond looking shape. I straightened and looked around. 'I must really have been out of it', I thought, because the girl had seemed to appear so suddenly. A bit away stood a man with a bow, in a Robin Hood looking outfit. A moment later, a man dropped down from above. He was dressed in all black, his headgear resembling a bat, and he wore a cape. Metal man finally rose, and said, "Well, well well. Batman, what a pleasant surprise. Fortunately for you and the chunky kid, I've got an appointment to keep. Farewell for now." He threw down a smoke bomb, and fled. I coughed at the sudden smoke, saying "Ah, what the fuck." Batman chuckled, and spoke into a device he pulled from his belt. "Manhunter, this is Batman. We need an evac, and escort for a civilian to base. Slade is in town. This guy might know something, Slade was trying to kill him when we got here." His voice was deep and gruff, somewhat intimidating and badass.

The blonde girl with the big breasts smiled and said, "We'll take you somewhere safe." Robin Hood nodded and added, "We'll need you to tell us anything you might know, if you don't mind." I blinked, and looked at them wthout speaking. Who the hell were these people? Within a few minutes, some more people in costumes arrived, and said they would cover us as we left. And then the blonde girl picked me up, as if I were styrofoam, and began to FLY away with me, as Robin Hood and Batman followed. We were met by a flying transport vehicle, which I'd never seen before, and it flew us into orbit, and into a base above the planet. I was a little freaked out by all of the recent events. Everything was happening way too fast, and so far nobody was explaining anything to me. They lead me somewhere inside, I got lost past the first few turns. I've always been bad at directions. As they led me down the halls and through rooms, I noticed that along with some normal looking people, were a whole lot of other people dressed in costumes and uniforms.

The blonde girl with the boobs waved to a man as we passed him. He was wearing blue and red spandex, with a symbol just like hers on his uniform. He also had swirly hair, and a red cape. Batman motioned for him to follow, and Swirly Hair fell into the group. Soon after, we reached our destination, a modestly furnished room, with a table and some chairs, and a man inside. His skin was green and he wore a black cloaky uniform, with an elvis collar. Green Elvis smiled in a friendly way at me, and said, "Please, sit. We'll begin the meeting." I sat at the large table and the others all followed suit. "What is this all about? Who are you guys? And how the hell can she fly," I asked, while pointing at the blonde with the boobs.

Green Elvis said, "That is Supergirl. Her powers give her super speed and strength, and the ability to fly, among other things. She has the same powers as Superman there." He gestured towards Swirly Hair. 'Superman? Sounds lame,' I thought. Supergirl wasn't much better, but at least she was easy on the eyes, and seemed friendly. Superman just seemed uptight so far. "I am known as Martian Manhunter, though many shorten it to Manhunter," Green Elvis continued. "These two are known as Batman and Green Arrow. All of us here, and some that are away, form an organization called The Justice League. We are striving to put an end to the evils on Earth." A league for heroes? That didn't sound too bad to me. "As to why you're here, it's because you may have witnessed something important. Slade would likely not have bothered with you otherwise." I shrugged in response. I really didn't think what I'd heard had any importance. But since they'd gone to the trouble to bring me here, I could've been wrong.

"He was talking about some weapon, and how he wanted to conquer Gotham," I said. "I didn't hear what the weapon was, but he was saying it had a lot of potential. He told the other guy that he only wanted to conquer the city, not destroy it. You sure this Slade guy isn't just some nutjob?" Manhunter shook his head. "Afraid not. Slade is a very dangerous criminal, and to underestimate him would be a serious mistake. I'm sorry, but for the time being, you'll need to stay here, for your own safety. Please understand." I grunted, signalling that I did indeed understand, but wasn't happy about it. "You'll have an escort each day, until you return to your room and sleep," he continued. "It will not always be the same person,and if you have any problems with any of them, I want you to let me know, and it will be taken care of." I was a little surprised at that. An escort was just their way of saying 'bodyguard', at least that was how I took it. I wasn't far off, either.

As it turned out, Supergirl was assigned to me first, that night, to show me to my room, and the next day. She showed me what the various devices and controls did, making very sure to show me how to contact Martian Manhunter. She made me repeat the instructions back to her, and then test it on my own. Manhunter was quite pleased that Supergirl had showed me how to contact him immediately, since he'd forgotten to pass those instructions on to me. She told me that her name was Kara, since it was wierd to keep calling her Supergirl. (At least to me.) After that, she left and I went to sleep. I was awoken the next morning by a chime, which, after a few moments, I realized was the doorbell. Supergirl's voice came through a speaker as I rose from the bed to get dressed. "Hey Nick, get up, we've got things to do." I grunted a reply as I got dressed, not realizing at first that she couldn't hear me. Her voice came through again, in an overly sweet tone, as she said, "Oh Niiiick, wake up Nick. If you don't I'll have to break the door down."

Quickly realizing the problem, I rushed over to the intercom and pushed the button, saying, "I'm up, I'm up. Let me get dressed." I heard a giggle from the other side of the door as I resumed dressing. I then exited the room, looking at her in slight annoyance as I said, "So what's the big rush?" She smiled and replied, "Well, first we need to get breakfast, then I need to give you a tour and introduce you to some people." I sighed in disappointment. That was all she wanted? I'd been hoping that it was important, but it sounded boring. "Alright," I replied, "let's get going, then." She made an affirmative noise and obligingly led me to the breakfast hall, which was not surprisingly filled with costumed heroes. The food wasn't bad, as it turned out. They offered a large variety of breakfast foods, most of which seemed appetizing to me. I chose to eat a fairly simple omelette, eating quickly and fairly quietly.

Afterwards, she led me through a series of hallways, and into a small lounge, which had a fridge and some games in it, along with a group of people sitting at a large table. Supergirl motioned for me to sit, which I did, and then sat next to me. "These are the Titans," she explained. "The guy in the black over there is called Nightwing, and he'll be escorting you tomorrow. Next to him is Starfire, Cyborg, Raven, and finally Changeling." I looked at them all, sizing them up. Nightwing looked like he'd taken a lot of design pointers from Batman, though he wasn't as old. Starfire was a cute redhead with long hair, dressed in purple, with metal bracers. Cyborg was a black guy who looked exactly like his name. He was a cyborg, a human with machines grafted to his skin. Raven was a black haired girl with pale skin, who was dressed in a dark blue cloak and hood. I couldn't clearly tell her hair length. I thought she was hot. Changeling was a green haired guy, who really didn't seem that unordinary aside from his skin. It was also green. "Nice to meet you all," I said to them. I was answered by a chorus of slightly different answers from most of them, and a nod from Raven, who remained silent. The next hour and a half was spent getting acquainted with the Titans. Nightwing preferred to spend a large majority of his spare time training, but also enjoyed video games and a variety of other quite normal things, such as movies. Changeling and Cyborg both shared interests with Nightwing when it came to video games and movies. And while Cyborgs interests veered towards the techie side, Changeling's interests were in the direction of the kitchen. He enjoyed cooking, particularly with unusual ingredients. Starfire also enjoyed cooking, but her tastes were even stranger than Changelings. Although, she had been learning 'Earth cooking,' as she proudly told me. She also enjoyed stuffed animals, and all things happy, shiny, and cute. Raven turned out to be just as she looked, very dark and mysterious. She enjoyed meditating and reading, and generally didn't like to get into the excitement. It seemed we shared a common interest in authors to some extent, and she recommended a few books to me.

By the time Supergirl pulled me away from the group, I had warmed up to them, and was no longer looking for escape routes. Not that I could've gotten past them anyways, but that's not the point. I was actually a bit reluctant to leave them, but I did as Supergirl asked, and followed her along the twisty corridors of the base. We ended up back at the command room, where Martian Manhunter was waiting. There were no chairs in this room, so I just stood next to Supergirl as she discussed the day so far with Manhunter, and they talked about what I should do for the remainder of the day. He was very approving of my schedule so far, and expressed a desire for me to meet more of the superheroes, and to more specifically spend more time with those who would escort me. Supergirl readily agreed to this, and I found myself once again being led through the base. Eventually, Supergirl stopped at a door and rang the doorbell. The door was soon opened by Batman, and we were let in. Supergirl explained to him, (And therefore me as well) that she thought it would be beneficial to me to learn a bit about him, since he had been one of my rescuers. Batman motioned for us to sit, and we both found seats. "What made you start doing this kind of stuff," I asked him. He didn't hesitate with his answer. "I thought it was time for someone to give the scum a taste of the fear that they force on others." I nodded, not able to disagree with that. "Do you have any powers," I asked. He shook his head. "No. I utilize a variety of technological weapons and stealth techniques. I am also quite adept at hand to hand fighting." He leaned forward a bit before continuing. "If you're planning on doing something, don't. Slade can kill you before you blink. That night we found you, we were all lucky. You were lucky we were so close. We were lucky Slade didn't want you enough to fight. I know you take it personally, him trying to kill you, but don't. You're not important to Slade. What you heard is. You were just in the wrong place, at the wrong time." He paused briefly. "Look, nobody wants to be nobody. But not everyone can be someone in this kind of situation. Just try to stay out of the way." He got up and left. I was a bit shocked, honestly. I'd never planned on being a hero, but I'd also never thought someone could so coldly tell me I was nothing to anyone. Let alone a hero.

Supergirl cleared her throat after a moment, causing me to look up at her. "Don't take it personally. Batman is very blunt. Let's get you back to your room for now." I nodded, and followed her back, grateful for her kindness. When I arrived back at my room, she said "I'll leave you alone for now. If you need me, call me. I'll be around. Oh. I have news. Your roommate. We picked him up this morning, for safekeeping. If you want to talk to him, you can call him too." She smiled, waved, and left. I thought about what she'd just said. Steve was here? I turned on the computer and looked up Steve, but didn't activate the calling system. I didn't want to speak to anyone anyways. I switched it off after a moment and just went to bed. I woke the next day to the now more familiar chime of the doorbell. I dressed quickly and opened the door. Nightwing stood there, looking none too pleased. "Come on, let's get going. We've got places to be," he said. I silently followed him to the large cafeteria, and ate breakfast. Afterwards, as we walked through the halls, he spoke again. "Look, I'm going to tell you honestly. I don't like who you are. You're out of shape, you barely know what's going on, and I think we're wasting time keeping you here. If things were different, and if you were different, I wouldn't be saying this. But this is the way things are. But regardless, I'll do my job. I hope you can do yours." I inwardly sighed, and replied, "Yes, I know. Stay out of the way." Nightwing nodded and led me to where the other Titans were. I stayed in a chair off to the side while they discussed things, until Starfire approached me. "Friend Nick, why do you stay alone over here," she asked. She looked confused, and a bit sad. "It's what I'm supposed to do, isn't it," I responded. She shook her head vigorously, and said, "I would never wish for you to be alone. Please, join us." She grabbed my hand and led me over to the others. I stood there, feeling awkward, while Nightwing looked annoyed. Starfire looked over at him, saying "Nightwing, I have brought our friend Nick to join us. Let us rejoice at the company of our new friend!" After a moment, Nightwing chuckled and said "Alright, alright. Have it your way, Starfire."

The rest of the day wasn't so bad, though I couldn't quite shake my depression at the words of Batman and Nightwing. I cooked lunch with Changeling, then sat and talked with Raven for a while. She even started showing me how to meditate, much to Starfire's approval, who said it "is of much use to friend Raven." It did seem to help me relax, and so I gladly accepted her offers for continued lessons, before we were gathered up for a movie. "Robot Revolution," Cyborg declared happily. I liked robots, and the movie, while sort of cheesy, was decent enough, though I was a bit nervous the whole time. Mostly because Raven and Starfire were sitting on either side of me. I relaxed gradually throughout the movie, but not completely. After the movie was over, Cyborg and Nightwing began a heated battle of some sort in a fighting game. Raven departed to meditate, and I joined her, though she made it clear she was not resuming my lesson today. Nevertheless, I attempted to meditate along with her, if for no other reason than I found her company enjoyable. This in itself seemed to make the meditation easier, and I thought I was doing well until Changeling and Starfire burst into the room, announcing that it was dinner time. I was a bit surprised that time had passed so quickly, but given all the events earlier, I came to the conclusion that I hadn't actually been meditating for more than half an hour. Changeling had cooked what he aptly named ToBeefy Mac. It was an enjoyable meal, even though it was very simple. After dinner was done, Nightwing announced that he was taking me back to my room. Changeling and Cyborg gave a loud goodbye, while Starfire hugged me tightly while doing the same. It was a bit awkward, but nice. Raven softly bid me farewell, telling me to remember what she'd shown me. I told her I would, and thanked her. Nightwing then took me through the corridors, leading me back to my room.


	2. Chapter 2

He stopped me as I entered the room, saying, "Nick. Listen. What I said earlier was harsh. But it wasn't entirely wrong, either. You're an ok guy, just..." He searched for a word, and I halfheartedly supplied one, saying, "Lazy?" He shook his head, and said, "No, that wasn't what I meant, exactly. You're out of shape, man. How can you do that to yourself, just letting your body waste away, when you could be doing so much more?" He stopped, and waved a hand, as if dismissing his words. "Nevermind. Good night." He turned and left, leaving me confused. He liked me but he hated me because I was overweight? I didn't understand. I supposed I didn't need to, really. I went to bed, waking up to the chime of my doorbell once again.

Starfire greeted me warmly as I opened my door, and pulled me into another of her hugs. "Friend Nick, let us make this day wonderful," she exclaimed, in her unique way. I smiled and told her I'd do my best. She seemed happy with that, and led me to breakfast, chatting with me the whole way. I found out that she was dating Nightwing, though I'd suspected this earlier. She and the other Titans had been working together for many years now, and they had learned to be quite effective. As we passed through the halls, I received a few taunts, along the lines of "Go home" and "Fatass" and the like. Starfire looked angry, and yelled back, "That is unkind! You will apologize!" The costumed heroes did so grudgingly, obviously not wanting Starfire more upset than strictly necessary. The rest of the day blurred by as she escorted me, and before I knew it, the week was almost done, and I was being called into a meeting. My escort for the day was Superman. I'd already been informed of his powers, and his identity, which I'd had to swear never to reveal. I'd done so without any problem. I didn't think it was a good idea to tell people those sort of things, anyway. As we entered the meeting room, I noticed that all my previous escorts were there, as well as Martian Manhunter. I sat at a chair. "Well, Nick," began Manhunter, "We've yet to find out anything that Slade may be planning. And now I am afraid that unless you have more information, I must ask something very difficult of you." I shook my head, then said, "I've got nothing else. I'm sorry. What did you need me to do?" Manhunter sighed, and then after a moment, said, "We need you to go back to your life. But more than that, we need you to be plainly in sight at night, around the area you sighted Slade, and the surrounding areas."

I looked at him, shocked. "Wait..." I said, "you want me to be a decoy? You want me to snoop around, hoping Slade will find me and go after me?" Manhunter nodded, looking pained. "Slade obviously thought you had something on him," he pointed out. "He'll come for you if you let yourself be seen. Believe me, this is not easy for me to ask. Will you do this for us?" I thought about it. My first thought was to tell them to go shove their crazy idea. But then I realized that this was something I needed to do. If they caught Slade, everyone would be that much safer for it. And I could help. "I'll do it," I told him. He sighed, both relieved and unhappy. "Thank you," he said. "We'll begin the operation in three weeks. We need them to believe we think you're completely safe. In the meantime, things will be a little different for you, up here, as you'll see soon enough." I nodded. Three weeks. I had three weeks until I could possibly be sacrificing myself for the others of the city. Three weeks until I could die. But that wasn't certain. I forced my thoughts away from that subject. Superman led me from the room, and back to my own room. I spent the rest of the day practicing what Raven had been teaching me, and generally relaxing. Supergirl came over, and we talked for a while. Just before she left, she assured me that everything would be fine, and that there was nothing to worry about. I agreed with her, not wanting to argue that particular topic. She left, and I went to bed.

In the morning, I awoke to the now familiar chime. I dressed and answered the door, to find Nightwing standing there. "Come on," he said. "We have a lot to do today." I followed him to breakfast, then he lead me to a training room. "From now on," he explained, "every morning you'll be working with me and the other Titans. Mostly me, though. We're going to whip you into as good of shape as we can in three weeks. The rest of your free time is yours, so you can keep working with Raven and do whatever you want. But eight hours a day, you belong to us." I nodded, understanding the need. I thought I knew what to expect. I soon found out I was wrong. Nightwing was a tough trainer, almost merciless, and I tired quickly. But he drove me on, not allowing me to quit, and by the end of the day, I knew I was going to see results. His regimen consisted of multiple weight loss exercises, as well as self defense lessons. He and the other Titans trained me ruthlessly, and I got zapped by more than one of Starfires low powered blasts during the course of the day. At the end of it, I stumbled home, led by Cyborg, and slept for a few hours until the phone rang. I woke and answered it. It turned out to be Raven. "Nick, we need to continue your lessons," she told me. "Come over as soon as you can." So saying, she hung up, and her image faded from the screen. I dragged myself out of my room and proceeded to her room, where we meditated, as she pointed out ways to help me relax and concentrate. And so it was for the next three weeks. My routine copied that of the first day, with me waking up, eating, then training for eight hours. Then I would rest for a few hours, be awakened by Raven, and proceed to practice with her. By the end of the second week, I had even begun asking for more combat training. Nightwing was surprised by this for a moment, but then cracked the biggest smile I'd seen yet from him, and said, "Let's go!" I didn't regret a single moment of it, and I'm sure they didn't either. But then, one day, instead of the enthusiastic Nightwing I was now used to, I was met by a somber and serious one.

"It's time," he told me. "You're going home today. So let's go say goodbye." I nodded, and we went to meet the other Titans. Starfire hugged me tightly as soon as I entered, squeezing the wind from me. There were tears in her eyes. "Friend Nick," she exclaimed, "Today is the day of our parting." As she released me, I gathered my breath. "Yeah," I said. "I'm leaving today. I'll draw out Slade. You guys do the rest. Cool?" I held out my fist, and Cyborg pounded it. Changeling smacked my shoulder, and Raven nodded very slightly to me. "Do not allow yourself to be defeated by that scum," implored Starfire. "He is villanous and deceitful!" I smiled, as her manner of speaking never failed to have that effect on me. "Hey," I said, "don't worry about me. You worry about taking that bastard down." Nightwing walked around so that I could see him, and spoke. "Listen, Nick. If it looks bad, get out of there. Slade is not a man you want to fight." I shrugged, not understanding how right he was. "Let's go," he said. "Manhunter is waiting for us." We left, the other Titans leaving with us. Soon we were in the meeting room. I sat, facing Manhunter, and the Titans sat around me. "So," I began. "It's time, huh?" Manhunter nodded, and I continued. "So what happens after this? Do I just go back to my life?" Manhunter smiled, and said, "Well, assuming this works, that is certainly the most viable option for you." He paused. "However," he continued, "The Titans, as well as some of the others, have asked me to extend to you the offer of continued residency here. They say you are making progress, and have potential, and I am loathe to let any such person go, if it can be helped." I looked around. This was definately not what I'd expected, or meant. I'd hoped they'd have more patrols in Gotham, but this... this was something different altogether. "I'll think on that," I said. "Please do," he told me. It didn't take long after that until I was home. And now that I was, my day felt rather empty. Of course, my job had been preserved, so I had that. The Justice League had been kind enough to explain things to them, and they'd agreed not to fire me. I did as many of the exercises I was now used to as I could, within the time frame I had, and with what limited resources I had. It surprised me how many of these I could actually do, and before I knew it, it was time to shower and go to work. Work was dull, in comparison, but the customers were usually the good kind, so it wasn't exactly bad. The day dragged on to a close, and finally I clocked out and left.

As I wandered the streets, I made a point to be visible, but tried not to overdo it. I looked in all the side streets on the way, but didn't explore them more than necessary. It didn't take long until I was at the same alley I'd seen Slade in before. This one I did explore. I looked around in it, up the walls and around all the objects. But there was nothing inside, not even a bum. I didn't find anyone the entire way home, in fact. Nor did I find anything unusual for the rest of the week. It wasn't until Tuesday that something happened. I'd been searching the streets for a week, and nothing at all had happened. Over the week my enthusiasm had slowly waned. Now, although I still checked the streets, I barely glanced down them. I'd begun to think that nothing would happen. I was proven wrong when I came across the alley where it had started. I glanced down it, then started to walk on, but then looked back, realizing someone was there. I looked around, and within the alley stood Slade, looking as relaxed and bored as he could, covered in the manner that he was. "Thought you were safe, didn't you," he asked. I couldn't argue with him. After all, he was right. He began walking slowly towards me, and I tensed up. I knew how fast he was, and I knew there was no running. I did the only thing that came to mind: I ran at him. I tried to be offensive, but I quickly learned that that wasn't an option. I was pushed into the defensive, and it was clear that he was only toying with me. I found myself leaning over, out of breath, with his fist in my stomach. He leaned over, saying, "Your watchdogs are a little occupied tonight. So let's make this easy on both of us. What did you tell them?" I blinked, realizing that this was my only advantage. He didn't know how little I knew. "Not much," I replied. "They didn't offer me much in return for it." I could sense Slades smile under his mask, as he said, "Holding out for a better deal? Risky move. Especially since you know I can't let you squeal." Quickly I realized my mistake. It didn't matter how much I knew, because Slade wanted to keep me from talking. "Now, I could kill you," he told me, "but that would hardly be entertaining. I have something better for you." I started to protest, to tell him I wouldn't let him, but he cut me short by slamming me into a wall. I felt it crumple around me, and gasped for breath that didn't want to come. Then Slade was gone, no longer touching me, and I could hear the sounds of a fight around me. I looked up, and my hopes soared as I saw the Titans, fighting Slade. Unfortunately, there were a few other people fighting the Titans, as well. A large scaley thing I assumed was a man, with sharp teeth and claws, and a rather large bald man in what looked to be a suit that kept him cold. He had a glass bubble around his head. Soon, Batman dropped from a roof, and the fighting became less one sided. I recovered my breath, but I realized that against people like this, I could do nothing. I had no weapons and not enough training. The scaled man was simply too strong and durable for me. He'd rip me in half. The other guy would just freeze me solid. And fighting Slade was ridiculous. But I knew I had to do something, so I joined Nightwing in fighting Slade, because I saw he needed some help.

My decision seemed to startle Slade, and for a few moments we had the advantage, and I kicked him into a wall, relishing the crunch he made when he hit it. But then he recovered, and he was angry. He came at us with a flurry of attacks that we could barely block, having to cover each other frequently. Soon I began to realize how true Nightwings warning had been. When Slade got serious, he was a force unto himself. Now he was angry, and could not be denied by only Nightwing and myself. I managed to glance around at the situation briefly as we stumbled back. Cyborg and Changeling were helping Batman take down the scaled man, and Starfire and Raven were handling Frosty Pants. Starfire and Raven looked enraged, and Frosty Pants looked like he was in trouble. Good news for us. I turned my attention back to Slade, who was trying to behead Nightwing. I hadn't realized he'd had swords before this, but Nightwing had brought out his staff to block them. I rejoined the fray, but Slade was now too much for me, armed as he was. "I've had enough of this," he declared, as he pinned Nightwing, before scooping me up and leaping to a rooftop. I struggled, as I saw that Starfire and Raven were finished with Frosty Pants. They were rushing to help, but it was too late. I felt a strong thump on my skull, and passed out. I awoke some time later, in what seemed to be a lab. I was strapped to a surgery bed. Slade was standing nearby, with someone who was dressed in a lab coat and jeans. He seemed to be a scientist. "Awake at last," Slade said. "I was beginning to grow impatient. But I'm a reasonable man, Nick. Oh yes, I know you. You're a baker, you just bought your first car, and you were a fat man before you stumbled upon me. Now, back to business. Just tell me what they know, and this will go much easier for you." I looked at him, disbelieving, before I laughed. "Don't lie to me, Slade," I told him. "I know that no matter what I tell you, you won't let me go. So spare me the negotiations and just do what you brought me for." Slade nodded approvingly, saying, "Well, well, well. A smart man. I appreciate men who look reality in the eye, so I'll tell you what we'll do, before we do it. The good doctor here is going to inject you with a little serum that we developed. What it does is... well, it makes normal people develop powers. Unfortunately, the doctor tells me there is a side effect of insanity. After I change you, we'll use you to distract and perhaps destroy your former friends. It will give us time to charge the Ionized Echo Cannon. A lovely weapon, that. It..." his words were lost as the scientist approached, and injected me. I immediately lost interest in what Slade was saying as unbearable agony filled my mind. My entire body was on fire with the pain, and I could feel something changing inside me. What it was, I couldn't say. Nor did I care as I passed into blissful darkness, as the pain caused me to lose conciousness.

When I awoke, I felt different. I was angry, and I wasn't sure why. Why didn't matter. I wanted to take it out on everything around me. My eyes focused on the nearest person: Slade. But Slade had already planned on this. "Come with me," he said. "I'll help you get rid of the ones that caused you to feel this way." He seemed to make sense to me, so I burst out of the straps that held me, and stood before him. "Take me," was all I said. He understood, and he said, "Ah, but first, we must make you a force to be reckoned with. You must be ready to make them hurt, to make them regret how they hurt you." Again, his words made sense to me, although something nagged me. I went with him, as he led me to a training room. Slade had studied me very closely after our encounter, it seemed, and it didn't take long for him to discover what to teach me. I liked Japanese swords. Katanas to be exact. Slade used similar swords himself, and knew many styles of assassination techniques. Thus, he armed me properly and began to teach me something he knew I would readily agree to learn: Battoujutsu. This sword style would fit my likings, be efficient in assassination, and still be of use in a direct confrontation, especially when complimented with more ordinary sword styles. It suited him just fine, teaching this to me. And so over the next eight months, I trained with Slade. Slade taught me not only combat techniques, but also how to hate. And he directed that hate at the Justice League. More specifically, at the Titans. The Titans, who I barely remembered. I didn't like thinking about them, because every time I did, something began to bother me. And when something bothered me, I got angry. Even Slade soon began to brush over those topics quickly. Over that eight months, Slade had the scientist study the changes I'd undergone, and found something astonishing. It hadn't given me superpowers. It had changed my powers. Though I hadn't known, and neither had Slade, in my genes had lain a dormant power, which was beyond study now. The formulas had awakened and altered those powers. Now I possessed powers much like Slades. Agility, strength, accuracy, balance, all my natural strengths were augmented, intensified to superhuman level. Though my strength could not match Superman, it was formidable, though I was no match for the likes of Slade without help. But help I had, for with these natural augmentations came a terrible power, one I could not control. If I were become enraged, my powers would be amplified horribly, and I would become nearly unstoppable. In this state I was prone to attack anyone and everyone around me. Slade had found this out the hard way, and I had destroyed a large section of our hideout before I could be subdued.

After the eight months, Slade declared me to be ready, and he gave me a mission. I had a target to eliminate. As I left on my mission, Slade gave me new equipment, a costume, and a new name. He called me Berserker. And so I left, and found myself a place where I could watch my target. He was a small man, with flaps like wings on his costume. His costume was red and white. I waited until he leapt from a building, then leapt after him. I could not glide as he could, but that was no problem. I simply jumped higher and further than he did. It was over in a flash. One moment he was gliding peacefully, the next, he was falling in two separate pieces, as I landed on the ground, swiftly fleeing the scene. I chuckled to myself as I returned to the hideout. That had been too easy. Upon returning, Slade drolly congratulated me, then told me not to get comfortable. He already had another target for me. As I'd come to find out, Slade hated Green Arrow. He never clarified why, but he wanted him to suffer. So I wasn't too surprised when he told me the new target was the Green Arrow's new fiance. They were having a date that night, and Slade wanted me to interrupt it, while Green Arrow was without his weapons. I laughed as he gave me the details. It sounded like fun. "Can I rip him apart too," I asked. Slade chuckled, saying, "Now now, let's not get ahead of ourselves. I want Green Arrow to live with this, and remember this day forever." I promised Slade that he would. Then I left, getting in place as quickly as I could. Then I waited, watching for the ill-fated couple. It took a few hours, but they turned up, strolling right into my path. Just as I had thought, they were wandering into a secluded spot before the movie started, probably for some pre movie kissing. I saved them the trouble by dropping down as they passed underneath me, slicing into the woman with my sword. She fell to the ground, blood spurting from the massive wound, which stretched from her chest to her stomach. I wiped my sword clean on the grass, then sheathed it as I walked towards Green Arrow. I walked up next to the stunned hero, putting my arm around his shoulder in a friendly manner. "Oh man," I said, "too bad about your girl there." I patted him on the shoulder. "Ah, no worries, man. Plenty of fish in the sea, right? Be seeing you around." And so saying, I leapt up and over to the roof, leaving him to stand there as I returned to the hideout. The day was definitely going well. Two kills in a single day. Slade gave me the next few days to myself, then called me to him during the third day. He gave me his location on the way, and I met him within ten minutes.

As I approached, I saw that there was a guy standing near Slade. When I got closer, I realized it was Steve. "Hey, buddy," I said as I got close. "What are you doing out here? I thought I'd have the day off, maybe have a nap then go find a hot date, but duty calls." Slade chuckled, and said, "Probably looking for a cinnamon roll." Steve gave Slade a 'you're a moron' look, and said, "Actually, it's Nick that likes those. I like..." Slade interrupted him, saying, "Well, that's good. They're nothing but fatty fuel anyways." I got annoyed, and yelled, "Hey! Don't talk shit about cinnamon rolls! They're delicious!" I grabbed a random passerby, and dragged his face close to mine, saying, "Hey. Do you like cinnamon rolls?" He quickly asserted that he did not, and I made a sound of disgust as I tossed him out into the street, and he screamed right before being hit by a bus. "Holy shit," Steve shouted. "Are you fucking crazy, Nick?" I laughed, and said, "What does the life of someone like him matter, Steve? Someone who crawls around like a bug all day, sniveling and selfish. That man would not have cared if it had been you. So tell me. Why does it matter?" "It matters," Steve yelled back. "You don't just kill people! What the hell is wrong with you?" I began to laugh again, hysterically. "Wrong," I replied. "What is wrong, Steve? Wrong is just a word the weak use to justify their weakness. The strong are the ones who rule. We're in charge! Why can't you see that?" Steve looked shocked at my words. "You're not the guy I knew," he told me. "You're a crazy asshole. I'm out of here. I don't want anything to do with you." He walked off as I stood there, taken by surprise by his statement. I let him leave as Slade turned to me. "You see," he said, "they don't understand. They'll never understand you. It's why they threw you away like a broken toy." "Yes," I agreed. "Well, if they won't understand, I'll just have to crush them all." "That's the spirit," Slade said approvingly. As we headed back to the hideout, I looked over at Slade. "It's time for me to take care of some unfinished business," I told him. "Oh," he inquired. I shook my head slightly, replying, "Stay out of this one. It's all mine." He chuckled, and said, "I wouldn't dream of interfering. Just don't get in over your head." I grunted and went silent. I prepared myself, gathering tools that I thought I needed, such as shuriken and throwing knives.

When I had finished the preparations, I waited for night to fall, then left without a word. I roamed Gotham, sticking to the shadows as I searched. I found more than one hero as I searched, but I ignored them as I searched for my target. Then, close to midnight, I found him. Nightwing was patrolling, slowly combing the city, when I dropped from the shadows. I walked up behind him, but made no move to attack. Instead I spoke. "Looking for something, Nightwing?" He turned quickly as he heard my voice, and said, "Nick!? We've been searching everywhere. When did you escape?" I laughed heartily. "Escape? I didn't escape," I told him. "After the rest of you abandoned me to my fate, I came to my senses." He shook his head, saying, "No, that's not how it was! We tried, we did everything we could!" I snorted derisively, and said, "Shut up. I'm not here for your excuses. I'm here for your life." So saying, I lunged forward at him, slashing at him as I drew my blade. He blocked with his staff, and countered quickly. As we traded blows with weapons and fists, I realized I was outclassed. As the realization sunk in, I grew angry. I had learned so much, how could Nightwing be so much more skilled than I was? As my rage grew, so did my strength, and the match began to even up again. Nightwing grew confused as I began to overpower his strikes occasionally, and his confusion drove him into a defensive. "What's the matter, Nightwing," I taunted him, "not used to being-ARGH!" I yelled in pain as a beam of sonic energy blindsided me. I flew backwards into a wall as Cyborg ran onto the scene. "Nightwing," he called out, "what the hell is going on, man?" Nightwing pointed at me. "He's crazy! Slade's changed him somehow." I stood up as Cyborg joined Nightwing. "What happened, man," he asked me. "This isn't you." I laughed again, and said, "And what would you know? None of you understand. That's why I have no choice but to destroy you all!" I heard Changeling's voice echoing through the streets as he approached, and said, "Tch, looks like I'll have to continue this another time, Nightwing. But don't forget that we're enemies now. Next time you won't escape." I jumped up, rebounding off of the wall, and landed on a rooftop. Then I took off into the night.

As I fled across rooftops, I noticed I was being pursued by Raven and Starfire. With a smirk, I began to throw shurikens at them. They dodged, as I'd known they would, right into the path of the smoke bombs I'd thrown right after. The best I could hope for from this was a short distraction, with them flying at the speeds they were. I didn't get even that, however, as they didn't hesitate in flying straight through the smoke after me. I cursed as I saw how fast Starfire was flying at me, and turned to throw some knives at her. They fell from my hands when she caught me and flew with me, pinning me against a wall in an alley at ground level. I struggled to get free against her strength, but it was no use fighting her with just strength. "Friend Nick, please stop this," she pleaded. "I have no wish to harm you!" I gave her a look filled with hate as I replied, "I don't need your lies, Starfire. And I have no such wishes for you." So saying, I kicked off from her stomach, launching myself into a backflip. With the wall behind me, I had to rebound over her head. As I flipped over her, my sword came out of the sheath, and cut through her shoulder as she turned to stop me. She gasped as she stumbled back against the wall, holding her shoulder to stem the blood flow. "Friend Nick," she said, "Why do you do these things? This is not who you are. You are a good person!" I looked down as I shook the blood from my blade, and my shoulders trembled with my silent laughter, which soon began to erupt from me. As I finished laughing, I said softly, "And what do you really know about me, Starfire? You who abandoned me? You know nothing. But me, I see now. I see who you really are, you and the other so called 'heroes'." I heard footsteps behind me, and turned, deciding that Starfire was no longer a threat. I saw Cyborg and Nightwing approaching with Raven, and smiled. A moment later I noticed a flicker of movement off to the side, and sidestepped as Changeling came rushing at me, in the form of a bull. He changed into a bird and flew up behind the others as I launched myself at Nightwing, and reverted to his natural form as we began fighting. Nightwing blocked my sword with his staff time after time, and Cyborg rushed in, and I frowned as the tide turned in their favor. Changeling seemed a bit shocked as he watched me fight the two of them. "Dude, when did Nick get so good," he wondered aloud. I flipped off a wall, throwing shurikens at all three of them, followed by more smoke bombs, just as I had before. I tried to run off again, but Raven wasn't fooled, and she pinned me against a wall with her powers, and floated closer to me. I tried to avoid looking at her, as something in my mind screamed at me, but she forced me to look, and said softly, "Nick, why are you doing this? What did Slade do to you?" I trembled as my mind tried to look for the answers, but found none. I shook my head in silence, having no answer for her. Sweat beaded up on my brow as I struggled inwardly to find those answers for myself. I analyzed everything Slade had told me, all the feelings and thoughts he'd given me, but the answers kept slipping away from me as I searched for them. "Don't worry," Raven told me. "We're going to take you back with us and help you." She looked at me intently for a moment, then said, "Can I release you, or will you try to kill me?" I looked at her, not sure for a moment. Then, as familiar memories filtered in, I said, "No. Not you, Raven. Release me, and I'll see the truth for myself, if you have any to offer." She nodded, and I caught myself as I fell to the ground.

Nightwing approached me, with a pair of restaints in hand. "Don't take this the wrong way, Nick," he told me, "but I need to put these on you." I offered my hands to him, saying, "Put the damn things on then. We both know they won't stop me anyways." Nightwing shook his head and sighed as he latched them onto me, and Nightwing helped Starfire up as they led me back to their vehicle, and then to the transport to the Justice League headquarters. As we wandered through the hallways of the orbital base, many heroes gave out catcalls and taunts. I smirked at them, as Cyborg and Starfire rebuked them, Cyborg calmly, and Starfire passionately. I was led into a medical bay, where Manhunter waited with the rest of my old escorts. I sat on a bed, and a doctor began to examine me. It didn't take more than a few minutes before the doctor injected me with what he claimed was an antidote. After a few more minutes, my mind began to clear. Soon I was thinking normally again, though the strange anger in me remained. The doctor explained to me that the agent Slade had used on me was a variant of one he used more often, which caused paranoia and heavy delusions. The one he had used on me focused more upon leading the victim to believe what they were told soon after exposure. The symptoms would worsen with time, but without foundation, eventually the mind would begin to reject the new information. Since Slade had never bothered to provide a solid backing to his lies, exactly that had happened when I had been confronted. "Slade has a lot to answer for," I said. "But, now so do I." Starfire vigorously shook her head from where she too was being treated. "No, Friend Nick," she protested, "you were not yourself. Slade is to blame for all of this." I looked at her for a moment before I replied, "Tell that to the Green Arrow." "Starfire is right," said Manhunter. "You were not in control of your actions. We hold Slade accountable for all that has happened." The door slid open a moment later, and the Green Arrow walked into the room. He looked at me, and said, "They're absolutely right. Everything you did had the mark of Slade all over it. I can't bring myself to hate you when I know that he was the one pulling the strings. I wanted to, believe me. I tried to hate you. But I can't ignore the facts right in front of my face. Besides, it's not what she would have wanted." I had nothing to say to that, and a few moments later, he said, "The funeral is in three days. I'll expect you there." He walked out without another word, and Manhunter had me tell him what had happened. So I told him everything I knew, starting from when I'd gone home.


	3. Chapter 3

The funeral was somber, somehow darker than most others. I tried to wrap my head around it as I looked around, finding it hard to meet the eyes of others. The light had been snuffed out of this woman, and with it, the happiness promised to one of the heroes of the world. I had done this. It didn't matter to me that Slade had manipulated me. I still remembered the feelings I'd had when I'd done it. I had enjoyed it. Killing her, hurting him, it had made me happy. And now the thought of that made me sick. I was vaguely aware of the oration coming to an end. The others walked forward, dropping roses into the casket, some saying a few words. I was the last to drop a rose, and I could hear the whispers as I did it. I was prepared for the whispers, but not what came next. Green Arrow called to me, and as I met his eyes, he asked that I say a few words. I froze for a few moments, and seconds ticked by, before I nodded in silence. The crowd gathered around me as I began to speak. "I don't ever want anyone here to forget what happened here," I told them. I could see confusion begin to brew, and anger. "Because not only should you remember the tragic loss that we all must bear, but something equally important. Remember that we can fall. We can be manipulated, controlled, and tainted. I fell, and I'm not sure I'll ever be able to be the person I was again. Even though others tell me it wasn't me, that Slade made me a puppet, it doesn't change what I remember. The sights, sounds, and feelings I remember make me sick now, but back then, I couldn't stop myself. I needed what it brought to me, what it ultimately brought to you. I don't know how to come back from that yet, and I want to ask you all to remember for that reason. If you're not vigilant, then you too may fall, and it's something I'd never wish on any other hero." I went silent, and after a few moments I began walking away. The crowd parted for me, allowing me to leave the graveyard and enter the transport that was waiting. But I wasn't going home. I was going back into my cell. I'd asked to be confined, for my crimes, and for the danger I posed. The rage was still there inside me, and I couldn't risk hurting anyone else.

The day came and went. They gave me food and water, and when I was tired, I slept. Sometimes I would lose control, and the rage would overtake me. The transparent material of my cell was the only thing that kept me in at those times. Days passed this way, and then a week. During this time, I saw no one, talked to no one. No one but my guard. I was told that others had asked to see me, but I turned them all away. Two weeks passed, and still I remained in confinement. Then, on the third week, the guard woke me with the intercom. Nightwing and Starfire were here to see me, he told me. I sat up, rubbing the sleep from my eyes. I heard Starfires rushed footsteps as she ran to the cell, placing her hands on the transparent material that held me in. "Friend Nick, why do you keep yourself in this room," she asked me. "There is no need for the self blame and hurting, it is the time for healing now. Please, come out and allow us to celebrate your return!" I sighed softly as I stood up, looking her in the eyes. "No, Starfire," I replied. "Now is the time for safety. I am dangerous. I can barely control the anger I feel, and we both know what will happen if I lose control." Nightwing knocked his fist on the cell, saying, "Yeah. We'll knock the sense back into you. Besides, I think we might have a secret weapon." A sly grin appeared on his face. "You know, that one with the cloak and hood, likes to meditate." I looked away quickly, saying, "I have no idea what you're talking about." I heard him chuckle in response. "Sure. But why not come out anyway," he said. "We can handle it. And so can you." I looked back at him sharply. His words placed an enormous amount of trust in me, and I wasn't sure what to say. Nightwing motioned to the guard, saying, "Open it up." The guard didn't hesitate, and soon I was free. "Come on," Nightwing told me. "You're coming home."

Chaos erupted as soon as I entered the main hall of where the Titans resided. As Changeling and Cyborg loudly cheered and welcomed me back, I remained silent. Raven hung back, behind the two rowdier members, and nodded a slight greeting, just as she'd always done before. I nodded in return, and she returned to her chair, reading. Cyborg and Changeling grabbed me by either arm, attempting to pull me towards the couch for movie time. "Guys," Nightwing called out, and that single word stopped them, and they looked at him, listening intently. "Take it easy. He's not up to speed yet, and we don't want to overwhelm him. I know we're glad he's back, but cool your jets and let's take it slow, so he can sort things out." The two nodded and backed up a step. I sighed in relief and followed them to the couch, where we took our customary positions. It was like old times, with Changling on the far left, followed by Cyborg, and then Nightwing sat paired with Starfire. I sat to the right of her, forming a wall between them and Raven, who sat to my right. The nostalgia came with a strong sense of comfort, and I found myself relaxing, able to watch the movie in peace. The rage in me subsided, pushed back by the feelings of safety the situation recalled. After the movie had finished, Changeling began cooking dinner, and the rest of us began to talk amongst ourselves, with Changeling occasionally calling out with some comment. Soon enough, I found myself escorted back to my old room by Nightwing. "Are you up for some training tomorrow," he asked me. "Of course," I told him. "I'll meet you in the morning." He nodded and waved goodbye as we reached my room. Sleep came easily, and I awoke calm and collected. After a quick shower, I headed over to the Titans' place for training. It was shorter than I was used to, as before they'd put me under an eight hour training regimen. Now the training only lasted half that. I was already in shape, and so there was no need for such a harsh routine. Nonetheless, I found I enjoyed what time we spent training. Near the end, Nightwing asked me to spar with him. I tried to refuse, but he cut short my explanations and assured me things would be fine. I should have heeded my instincts.

At first, things were normal. We slowly tested each other, and then the pace quickened as the match began in earnest. In the back of my mind, the rage I'd become so familiar with screamed at me, but I was too engrossed in the fight to notice. The change happened quickly, too quickly for me to stop it. One moment I was grinning as our weapons clashed, the next I was roaring with rage as I rushed him. Nightwing was caught off guard by the sudden change in my demeanor, and that one moment was enough for me to leap over and behind him. Out slashed my sword, straight towards his head. It didn't connect. I found myself struggling against a wall of black energy, only inches from my target. I vaguely heard voices shouting at me, but the blood was pounding too loudly in my ears for me to hear them. I felt a hand on my shoulder, and I turned sharply, raising my sword, but after a moment, I let it drop. Raven was there, speaking to me, and after a moment, the rage receded, and I heard her telling me softly that everything was fine. She was wrong, though, and I told her so. "I should not have come here," I told Nightwing. "I wasn't ready." I sheathed my sword and dropped it on the ground, then walked out. I returned to the cell that I'd spent so much time in, and instructed the guard to lock me up again. Though hesitant, he agreed after I remained firm on the issue. "I wish to see no one," I told him. "See to it properly this time." I sat on the small cot and closed my eyes, and tried to meditate. I heard the door open, and the guard telling Nightwing and Starfire that they could not see me. I heard their protests, and they called out to me, but I did not answer. After a few minutes, they left, and there was silence. I fell deeper into meditation, and when I opened my eyes, it was much later, or so the guard told me. I went to sleep immediately. My pattern for the next day was simple. I woke up, and ate breakfast, exercised, then meditated until dinner arrived. I ate dinner, and did more light exercises, and then slept. I repeated that routine for the next two weeks. The guard told me that others had tried to visit me occasionally, primarily the Titans, but I never noticed them, always being deep in meditation. In the end, it was Raven who ended my isolation.

Raven was in general a very patient person, but even her patience had its limits, and I had clearly gone over them. This was clear when she appeared through the wall of my cell. I didn't notice her until she grabbed me by the shirt and yanked me to my feet, aided by her dark energy. I could tell that she was upset just by looking at her. If I had been anyone else I might have thought she was just mildly annoyed. "Hi Raven," I greeted her nonchalantly. "Why are you in here, Nick," she asked me. "I thought you were done acting like a fool."

"And what would you suggest," I asked her.

"You could stop missing your lessons. That might help," she replied dryly. Her tone then turned serious. "Running from the anger won't help. It will only make it that much worse when it catches up to you. Instead you should focus on overcoming it." I sighed and looked away. After a few moments of thought I said, "And you think you can help me do that, huh?" She lowered me to the ground as she said, "I have to. I have to make sure that you can control it. After all, I won't always be here to bring you back to your senses." I looked back at her, but her she didn't seem to be mocking me. "Let's go, Nick," she told me. "We have much to discuss, and more to get done." I motioned to the guard, and he opened my cell. I walked out, and back to where the rest of the Titans were. Raven walked beside me, as silent as ever. When we arrived, Changeling was busy in the kitchen, while Nightwing and Starfire were decorating. At the moment they were hanging up a 'Welcome Back' sign. Words weren't necessary as I gave the two of them an annoyed look. "We knew there was no way she'd fail," Nightwing explained. "And Starfire insisted we throw you a party." Raven swept past me, motioning for me to follow. "Let us know when everything is ready," she told the others. "We've got some things to work on."

As soon as I stepped into her room, Raven shut the door and locked it. "Sit somewhere," she told me. I looked around and sat in a chair, while she sat on her bed. "Before we resume your lessons, there is an issue we should get out of the way." I nodded, and she went on. "I know of the feelings you harbor for me," she informed me. "I have known for some time now, as have the others. I must tell you that these feelings must not cause turmoil within our team." I was silent, allowing her to continue. "Obviously such things are not forbidden, but I can't commit to such a relationship at this point, for several reasons, none of which I will talk about now. The important thing is that we not let this come between your commitment to either the team or your training. So tell me now that it will not. Tell me honestly and we can proceed." She paused and looked at me. I knew that look well. If I had lied to her, she would have known. "Don't worry," I told her, "they won't get in the way. While I can't say they will disappear, I won't let them control me." Such a long winded speech was a rare thing for Raven, and I knew I had to take it seriously. To do otherwise would be incredibly disrespectful. "Good," she replied. "Then I can put this matter to rest for now, and deal with it again should the occasion arise." She motioned for me to move to the floor, which was the usual spot for meditation. I did so, and as I fell into the routines that I was familiar with, I heard her guiding me, giving me suggestions and insight. While she talked she began to explain that her way of dealing with such problems were likely different than the methods I would need, due to her background. Luckily, she was quite knowledgeable in these areas, and so I began to see that progress would be made. The others

arrived to tell us that everything was ready, and we emerged from the room, and into the living room. Changeling has baked a cake, and had made dinner. The menu consisted of roast beed sandwiches, a variety of small pasta dishes, and salad. He had even used real beef, although he had made a tofu alternative for himself. "Gee, you really went all out, didn't you," I remarked. The party was amazing, with great food and great company. We watched another cheesy movie, and when it was over, I was confident again. I knew that I could handle whatever came my way. I decided it was time to try again.

In the morning, I didn't go to training as usual. Instead I headed to a place I'd never thought I would be going again. I went to Batman's quarters and rung the bell. "Come in," I heard from inside. I opened the door and went inside, standing across from where he was sitting. "Good morning, Batman," I greeted him, even though he was out of uniform. He raised an eyebrow at me. "This is business then, I take it," he asked. He motioned for me to sit in the chair behind me, and I did so gratefully. "I need your help, Batman," I started, but he held up his hand. "Business or not, call me Bruce," he told me. "I prefer you to use my name since you know it." I paused and then nodded. After a moment I started over. "Bruce, I need your help. The Titans have helped me regain my confidence, and it's time to get back in the game," I said. "I want to go on the offensive, and bring the fight where it belongs. Right to Slade." Bruce sat back, thinking. "Why didn't you go to the Titans with this," he asked me. "Don't you want them in on this plan of yours?" I shook my head. "No. That's the last thing I want right now," I replied. "The Titans are my strength, but right now they are also a weak spot for me. Too much risk." Batman nodded in agreement. "That's just what I wanted to hear," he told me. "Smart thinking. Let's go over this plan, and perhaps we can work something out." Over the next hour I laid out my plan to him, and we made adjustments when necessary. He convinced me to bring Nightwing along with us, despite my initial misgivings. Nightwing was a strong fighter, and he knew Slade well. Batman didn't think the incident in the training room would be repeated with him, so I agreed. But I wanted a fourth member, someone who wasn't in the thick of the fighting, but could hold their own if the fight was brought to them. When Nightwing arrived, we both presented the issue to him. Batman had a list of possible candidates for the mission, but both of us wanted Nightwings opinion on the matter. Nightwing mulled over it for a while, and in the end he suggested an old comrade, who he called Jinx. Jinx was an old team mate, and a member of a branch of the Titans. She was close friends with everyone on the original team. Batman supported the suggestion, and I agreed to it, though I knew nothing of her. We decided that I would do some smaller missions with her, to heighten our symmetry. We would work together for a week before the real mission. But before I met her, I had something to do. As I approached my quarters I grew nervous. Initially I hadn't wanted to do this, but Nightwing had insisted. "You never know when your number is up," he told me. "You have get everything out of the way, and this is something you have to get past, no matter how it turns out." And he was right. I switched on the communications station, and punched in Steve's number. There was no video, so the screen just displayed a volume meter. I heard him pick up, and he said, "Hello?" I took a breath before answering. "It's Nick," was my simple answer. "Nick," came his questioning response. "They told me you got better. Hard to believe though, you were fucking crazy last time I saw you. You killed some guy." I sighed and said, "More than one. I can't say I'm better, Steve. But I'm not a psycho anymore. They gave me an antidote, and now I'm trying my best to be like the person I was before. It's not easy." Steve replied, "I don't understand. I don't know what happened to you. When you get better, tell me about it. But right now, it's too soon for us to meet. I have to be sure you're better." I understood where he was coming from. "Alright," I said. "It was good to talk to you again. Until next time." I hung up, and took another deep breath. It was time to go, and meet my new partner.

Jinx was a slender, pretty young woman with pink hair that was tied into buns. Her skin was almost as pale as Ravens was. She told me that her power was to cause bad luck, which sounded useful. We met up at the Titans residence, and set out immediately. We began scouring Gotham for trouble on the rooftops. Trouble was easy to find in Gotham, with robberies and muggings being common. Jinx had had a lot of training, so though our teamwork wasn't perfect, it wasn't exactly horrible either. We worked on it over the next week, and we hung out often when not patroling. After the first few days we were good friends, which made the other Titans happy, particularly Starfire and Raven. We began training together to improve our teamwork, and by the end of the week, it was better by a large margin. The four of us assembled in a predetermined place in Gotham, and we began moving across the city to where I was sure Slade was. We stayed relatively close, within a few rooftops or streets from one another. Without incident, we made it to the supposed lair of Slades. The entrance was a simple metal door, not even locked. I opened it, but stopped when I felt Batmans hand on my shoulder. "This is too easy," he told me. "Why would it be this easy to get in to his base of operations?" I shrugged, and said, "Don't know. But if he's left it open then he's underestimating us. That's his mistake." I strode through the door without any hesitation. Inside we found a hallway, with several doors down it. Only one was unlocked. I went through it, and through that door was a trail of doors and rooms, each with only one door unlocked. The others grew uneasy as I led them through the open doors, and within a few minutes we exited into a large area that looked to be the storage of some warehouse. Waiting for us was Slade, and he wasn't alone. With him he had the two villains I'd seen when I'd been captured. I'd learned since then that they were called Mr. Freeze and Killer Croc. Immediately I knew that this was going to get complicated, and fast. "Game plan," I snapped out at Batman, my way of asking how to handle the two that were usually his adversaries. "I'll take care of Croc," he responded. "Nightwing, take Freeze. You and Jinx take Slade, but get out if it gets too dangerous." I nodded and we split up as we rushed the three of them. Out came my sword, slashing at Slade, who was ready with his own swords. Normally, Slade would have been too much for me to handle, but with Jinx, Slade was forced on the defensive. As he tripped, stumbled, and missed blocks, he began to back up, only to step into holes in the floor that hadn't been there moments before. I noticed Nightwing approaching out of the corner of my eye, and I glanced over towards Batman, who was being forced back by the superpowered brute. "Help Batman," I called out to Nightwing, who changed course immediately. I didn't spare another glance for the downed Mr. Freeze, instead returning my attention to Slade. As I renewed my attack, I said, "Too bad you didn't bring more help, Slade. You're going down." Behind him, Jinx focused her powers on the ground beneath him, and his shoe happened to slip into a hole. As he struggled to free himself, I readied my sword for a strike. Even trapped as he was, I heard him chuckle.

"Oh, come now, Nick," he said. "Don't you see what's happening?" I narrowed my eyes at him as I said, "Shut up. There's nothing you can say that I want to hear."

"Don't you find it unusual that you defeated these two so easily today, and yet the last time you encountered them, it ended with defeat for you," he taunted.

"This time I'm not a push over," I responded, yet I held my attack. "Are you saying you know something I don't," I asked him. He chuckled again, and said, "I know plenty that you do not. For example, last time you engaged Killer Croc over there, it was three on one, yet they barely defeated him, and still not in time to save you. And it took two Titans to subdue Mr. Freeze previously." As he spoke, Mr. Freeze rose to a knee, and looked over, an amused look on his face. He had been faking the entire time, it seemed. "You would think your precious heroes would have known," he continued, as I felt a burning begin in the back of my mind. "Or perhaps they have all along," he mused. "Last time was certainly a resounding defeat. But perhaps one could chalk it up to... a spot of bad luck?" His head flicked towards Jinx as he spoke, and I looked over at her, then back to Slade. "You do know she used to be quite the little villain, don't you," he asked me. Horror began to show on my face, and he continued. "No? Of course not. Why would she tell you that. But she does do such good work." Jinx wasn't stupid. She could see what Slade was doing, and she called out to me. "Nick, don't listen to him. I'm not like that anymore. I would never-" Her sentence was cut short, as I lunged. It was quick, so fast that I can never remember actually doing it. I do remember that everything turned red, and trying to think, but there was a loud buzzing in my ears. Next I remember, I was pulling my sword from Jinxs chest. I caught her as she fell, whispering, "Oh, no." She smiled up at me weakly, trying to comfort me. I'll never forget that smile. "It's ok," she quietly assured me. "It's not your fault." She coughed, and I could see blood in her mouth. "Don't you dare let Slade get away with this, Nick," she demanded. I nodded. There were tears running down my face. "I promise. I'll make him pay. He'll pay so dearly for this, Jinx," I told her. She died in my arms. The next few minutes are a blur, and all I remember are that my eyes felt like they were on fire. They tell me that I was crying hysterically, and that I refused to let go of her. When Batman tried to take her body from me, I attacked him. The next thing I remember is being pinned on the ground by him, with his fist bashing my face in. I was so angry I could barely think.

I kicked him off of me, and ran at him, picking my sword up from the ground as I did. I wasn't sure when I'd dropped it. I never reached Batman. A dark energy enveloped my body, and I slammed against a wall, all the way across the warehouse. The breath was knocked from my lungs, and I struggled to take another one. Raven appeared, flowing through the wall, and she looked around calmly as she took in the scene. Nightwing held a rib as he knelt on the ground, and while Slade was gone, the other two villains were out cold. Batman rose from the ground and nodded slightly to Raven, silently acknowledging her and thanking her. Then, as I struggled against the dark bonds that held me fast, her eyes found Jinxs body. Her eyes widened, and then her head snapped back around, and she stared at me. I saw a tear escape her eye, and roll down her cheek. "Nick, what happened? Tell me you didn't do this," she implored. Her voice was grief filled and breaking, and it pissed me off. "I did it. I killed her," I replied, my voice full of venom. "What happened," she asked again. "Why did you leave on a mission without telling me? Who were you fighting?" I remained silent, but I didn't need to talk. Batman answered for me. "We were fighting Slade," he informed her. "Slade," she exclaimed, "Nick, you aren't ready for Slade yet!"

"We had him," I yelled at her. "I had him! He was right there, helpless!"

"You knew this could happen! You know how he can use your anger against you," she told me.

"Don't talk to me about anger, Raven," I hissed at her. "You've got no ground to dig your heels into. You know just as much about rage as I do, don't you? Heard you got it from your father." Another tear, and Raven shook her head. "You know I'm past that, Nick," she said. "This isn't about me. You knew you weren't ready, and look what happened."

"I don't know what happened," I told her honestly. "One minute Slade was talking, and the next I was pulling my sword out of Jinx." A feral grin worked its way across my face. "It's such a shame. I really want to know what it felt like going in." Ravens eyes widened again, and I could almost see her snap, as with a scream of pure fury she launched me across the warehouse again, slamming me into surface after surface in just moments. "Raven, stop, control yourself," Batman urged her. "He's not himself, you know that. Something Slade said sank its claws in deep this time." Raven stared at him, her chest heaving as she took deep breaths. Slowly she lowered me to the ground. She looked at me, and I something in her eyes quieted me, and I found myself calming, and the severity of the situation sank in as my rage subsided.

"When will you learn, Nick," she asked me softly. "Your actions have consequences, and not just for you." She walked away, disappearing through the wall as if she'd never been there in the first place.

I sat there for a few minutes in silence, until Nightwing pulled me to my feet. There was grief in his eyes, as there had been with Raven, but also sympathy and some form of understanding. "You were right all along," he told me. "You weren't ready yet. We're as much to blame for this as you are. If we hadn't pushed you, you wouldn't have come here trying to take on Slade. And Jinx..." I held up my hand, stopping him. I didn't want to hear about Jinx. Not yet. "I know," I told him. "I know I wasn't ready. I just wish I'd known an hour ago." Batman tapped Nightwing on the shoulder, and he nodded, then turned back to me. "We need to go," he told me. "You go with Batman, I'll get Jinx." I shook my head immediately. "No. Let me. I'll bring her back home." I walked over to Jinxs body, so still on the concrete floor. Blood had pooled around it, and I absently thought that she'd be upset because now her outfit was ruined. My mind was numb as I picked her up, and carried her outside. Our shuttle arrived, and Nightwing and I boarded it. Batman stayed behind as another team arrived to help secure the villains. It didn't take long to get back to the JLA headquarters. As I carried her body through the halls on my way to the medical wing, I heard others whispering. Some called me a monster, and when Nightwing made a move to defend me, I stopped him. "Let them talk," I told him. "They're right. I am a monster. I'm carrying the proof in my arms." After bringing the body to the medical team, I wasted no time leaving. I didn't want to see the Titans when they inevitably showed up. I locked myself in my room. Later, Nightwing called me, asking me to attend her funeral. It was the second funeral in as many months I'd attended. The second in as many months that I'd caused. I told him I would, and he gave me a date and a time. The funeral was three days from then, and in that time I didn't leave my room. I refused to risk anyones safety by being in public. The pain of hunger somehow seemed fitting to me at the time, and after the second day, my stomach seemed to agree, ceasing its growls and protests for lack of food. I'd called Manhunter during that time, and asked him for a favor. He granted my request, and I received a package from him the day of the funeral. I brought it with me as I stopped by the florist on my way to the funeral, and bought a rose.

The other heroes had all gathered by the time I arrived. Most kept their distance. Some approached and offered their sympathy. I ignored them all. They understood my aloofness, and soon they left me alone. I hadn't seen the Titans yet, and I slipped into a chair, hoping they wouldn't notice me. Hoping, and knowing that hope was in vain. I soon found myself surrounded by the group, as they sat around me. Most of them. Raven was nowhere to be seen, and I couldn't say I blamed her. I heard Starfire and Changeling quietly trying to console me, and I ignored them as well. After a few minutes they quieted, and Starfire laid a hand on my shoulder, assuring me that they would speak to me later. The funeral went by slowly, with each hero who had known Jinx giving quiet speeches about her, and then laying a rose into the casket. I waited for everyone to lay their roses before I stood up. When my turn came I gave no speech, and said no words. I laid my rose down, and then opened the package I was carrying. Out from it came a newly made uniform, a copy of the one Jinx had worn. I quietly laid that on top of the roses, inciting angry murmurs in the crowd. "What's the purpose of that," one of them asked. I turned and regarded them all for a moment before giving my answer. "I ruined her last uniform," I told them quietly. "The least I could do was replace it." I walked away, and left the funeral. I wasn't waiting to be asked to speak at this one. There was nothing I could say, and I felt that anything I did say would only tarnish her memory, the only thing that remained of her. And so I left, and returned to my quarters. But I had not forgotten that I had a promise to fulfill. Sooner or later, I would be ready. Sooner or later, Slade would answer for everything.


End file.
